My father died in police custody

by Nwando Okoye

"I was shocked when I found out that my father, Oscar Okoye, had
died in police custody. I didn't want to believe it had happened.
Before, I thought people exaggerated about police harassment. I'm
still amazed at the fact that he is not here because he was so real
and such a big part of my life. The reason he is not here is really
hard to come to terms with, I believe the police killed my dad. It
makes you feel helpless because they have all the power and the law
on their side.

Although he is no longer here and he will never come back, I feel
that I must do something to prevent this happening to other families
and get justice for all those who have died in police custody.
Working with the Movement for Justice, I have been leafleting, making
people aware that we can do something about police harassment
and stop it. I am building a Movement for Justice group in my college
(Lewisham). That way, people who have faced similar problems know
there's a group that will fight for them. We need a mass movement
that will fight for justice."